Intensive modernization and reconstruction of the energy sector takes place throughout the
world. The EU climate and energy policy will have a huge impact on the development of the energy
sector in the coming years. The European Union has adopted ambitious goals of transforming
towards a low-carbon economy and the integration of the energy market. In June 2015, the G7 countries
announced that they will move away from coal fired energy generation. Germany, which
has adopted one of the most ambitious energy transformation programs among all industrialized
countries, is leading these transformations. The long-term strategy, which has been implemented
for many years, allowed for planning the fundamental transformation of the energy sector; after the
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, Germany opted for a total withdrawal from nuclear energy and
coal in favor of renewable energy. The German energy transformation is mainly based on wind and
solar energy. Germany is the fifth economic power in the world and the largest economy in Europe.
Therefore, the German energy policy affects the energy policy of the neighboring countries. The
article presents the main assumptions of the German energy policy (referred to as Energiewende).
It also presents the impact of changes in the German energy sector on the development of energy
systems in selected European countries.